Two Muslims accuse airline of canceling a flight from Birmingham to Dallas due to ‘racial profiling’

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT & CBS) Two Muslim men are accusing American Airlines of canceling their flight because of racial and religious profiling.

The men were flying American Airlines from Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport in Birmingham to Dallas, Texas Saturday, September 14th.

One of the men who is a North Texas man says American Airlines canceled his flight because the flight crew didn’t feel comfortable with him and his Muslim friend on the plane.

According to American Airlines, the flight was canceled due to concerns raised by a crew member and a passenger.

Due to the cancelation of the flight, all customers aboard the plane were rebooked on the next flight.

One of the two men involved called the experience disrespectful. Abderraoof Alkhawaldeh and Issam Abdallah say they have filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Transportation against Fort Worth-based American Airlines.

American Airlines says it has reached out to the two men to better understand their experience.

In a statement, American Airlines says, “American and all of its regional partners have an obligation to take safety and security concerns raised by crew members and passengers seriously. “

The company says it is reviewing the incident.

—

–

Copyright 2020 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.